and just as we were able to prevail in the long struggle against the soviet union during the cold war, we can prevail in the global conflict with islamist extremism and terrorism that we were forced into by the terrorist attacks of september 11, 2001. but all that, too, will require leadership in the united states senate. it will require leaders who will stand against the siren song of isolationism, who will defend our defense and foreign assistance budgets, who will support, when necessary, the use of america's military power against our enemies in the world and who will have the patience and determination when the public grows weary to see our battles through until they are won. mr. president, i first set foot in this chamber almost exactly 50 years ago, in the summer of 1963. enfired like so many of my generation by president john f. kennedy and his call to service. i spent that summer right here in the senate as an intern for my home state senator, abe ribakov. he was and remains a personal hero of mine. and although i never would have admitted so publicly back then because it was